Internal-combustion engine.



R. S. GRAHAM.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLlcAnoN r|LD1uNE24,19x6.

1,214,672. Patented Feb.6,1917.

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R. S. GRAHAM.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPucATloN FILED1UNE24.1916.

1,214,672. Patented Feb. 6,191.7.

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INVEN'ro/f. l M 5' g4 ROBERT S. GRAHAM, 0F ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

INTERNAL-GOMBUsTIoN ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.l

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

Application filed June 24, 1916. Serial No. 105,727.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Bonnn'r S. Geni-IAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful improvements in. Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specifica tion, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines, the objects of which are, tiret; to provide an engine of this class in which the centers of the connecting rod wrist pins and the crank shaft' are in alinement', thereby, eliminating side thrust on the parts connected with the outer ends of the connecting rods, and preventing the wear on the cross head guides now generally in use, second; to so construct an engine of this class, that all lateral thrust on the crank shaft boxes and the concussion or jar incident to operation are eliminated, third; to provide an engine in which four cylinders contain eight pistons, which latter' act as guides for the outer ends of but two connecting rods, which are connected with two diametrically opposed cranks, fourth; to so construct the inlet and exhaust ports and passages therefor, in an engine of this class, that ample passages for fuel and the products of combustion are provided, thereby enabling the engine to be run at a comparatively high speed, fifth; to so construct the engine that its movement may be easily and quickly reversed. I attain. these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyin drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine. Fig. 2 is a top plan, certain parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, on the line W W, seen in Fig. 4, looking toward the right, certain `parts being omitted. Fig. il is a transverse section showing details of the cylinders, on the line X X, seen in Fig. 1, the cranks being rotated ninety degrees. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of one of the multiple piston connections in detail, on the line Y Y, seen in Fig. 1. Fig; 6 is an end View of one of the end pieces, certain parts being broken away. Fig. 7 is a side elevation in detail of one of the connecting rods.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 4;, the four tubes, A, B, C and D, are secured together, by end pieces E and F, flange bolted on the ends of said tubes, and since said tubes and the parts operated therein, are alike in construction and operation, a detailed description of but one tube is deemed sufcient.

rlube A. has cylinder 1 formed in one end portion thereof, opposed cylinder 1 in the. opposite end portion, and combustion chamber 1 in its central portion. Said comlnistion chamber is provided with water jacket 1, through which water is circulated, for cooling said chamber, as seen in Fig. 2. Combustion chamber l and the similar chamber of tube B, are connected together by the two piece passage 2, the pieces of which are flange bolted together at the center of said passage. rlhe combustion chambers of tubes C and D are connected in like manner, by passage 2, as seen in Fig. et. Combustion chamber 1 is provided with exhaust ports 3, at each end of the outer side thereof, and with inlet ports l and e opposite said exhaust ports. Said inlet and exhaust ports provide ample passages for fuel and for the products of combustion, in serving said combustion chamber. lnlet port 41;, (see Fig. 4,) is connected with the outer end of cylinder' 1, by by-pa'ss 5. The outer end of cylinder l is similarly connected with the inlet ports e by ley-pass 5', see Fig. 2. The ends of cylinders .1 and 1 are provided with heads 5, formed with end nieces E and F.

rlhe outer end of cylinder 1 is connected with manifold pipe 6, by, passage 7, formed through end piece E, while cylinder 14 is similarly connected by passage 7, with manifold pipe 6. Said manifold pipes are provided with inlet check valves S and 8, respectively, for preventing back flow of fuel therethrough. Said manifold pipes are provided with carbureters 9 and 9', respectively, through which fuel is fed, from a source of fuel, not shown.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, one end of crank shaft 10 is rotatably mounted between the central portions of tubes A. and D, while :its opposite end is similarly mounted between tubes B and C. Said shaft has the diametrically opposed cranks 11 and 11 formed on the central portion thereof. Pistons 12 and 12 are slidably mounted for opposed movement incylinders 1 and l, respectively. Piston 12b is similarly mounted in tube B and has an undesignated Opposed piston of the same construction and operation.

Pistons 12 and 12b and their opposed pistons are alike in construction and operation,

therefore only said piston 12 is described in detail. Piston 12 has an aperture 13, through the central portion thereof, said aperture being enlarged at its upper end forming a counter-sink 3, as seen in Fig. 5. Pistons 12 and 12d each have a countersink 15 formed inthe center of the upper side thereof. The last mentioned vpistons have opposed pistons in the opposite ends, respectively of their respective tubes C and D, which are alike in construction and operation, and are therefore not shown nor described.

vVVi-istpin 141- has one of its ends secured in cross arm 15, while its opposite end is snugly but slidably mounted in cross arm 1G. The lower end portions of lower cross arm pins 17 are securely mounted in countersinks 13, while their upper end portions are securedfin the lower' arms of said cross arms. Countersin-ks 413 each have a spiral spring 1S loosely placed therein. Cross arm pins 19 have heads 19 formed on their upper ends. The unheaded ends of said pins are passed downward through formed through the center of the upper sides of cylinders'l, springs 18, apertures 13 into the upper arms of cross arms 15 and 1G, heads 19 are forced downward on said springs, after which the lower ends of said pins are secured in the upper arms of cross arms 15 and 16.

It will be understood that connecting rod 20 is placed in the position seen in Fig. 2, before wristpin 141 is -secured in place, as previously described. The `outer end of connecting rod 20 is similarly connected with four pistons situated in the opposite end portions of tubes A, B, C and D.

yThe four combustion chambers 1 are each provided with a spark plug 21, whereby gaseous fuel is ignited in said chambers. Since the electric and spark timing devices for serving said plugs, may be of any well known form, now generally in use, and. form no'part of ymy invention, the same are neither shown nor described.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 5, all of the cylinders 1 and 1 have slots 2 2 formed through their adjacent sides, through which cross Yarm pins 17 and 19 are projected, for permitting travel therein of said pins. It will be understood that the previously described spring supports for pins 19, provide elastic auxiliary supporting means, whereby a portion of the weight of wrist pin 14y and its connected parts is supported on and carried by pistons 12 and 12b, while the remaining portionof said weight is supported on pistons 12c and 12d. Fly wheels 23 are secured on the'end 'portions'of crank shaft 10.

The described engine is mounted on base 24:, but may be mounted on the chassis rails of a vehicle, (not shown,) or upon any suitable foundation.

an aperture 'In operation, with the parts in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, it being understood that the engine has been previously used and is filled with gaseous fuel; ily wheels 23 are rotated in the desired direction, which direction is determined by the check valve S and passage 7 into cylinder 1 The previously described compressed charge is ignited at spark plug 21, and the energy thus generated drives said pistons from each other, compressing said ifglucted charges in the `outer `ends of said cylinders. vVhen said pistons uncover the inner end portions of exhaust ports 8, the greater portion ofthe products of combustion are exhausted therethrough, from combustion chamber 1. 'Further outward movement of said pistons fully .uncovers said exhaust ports and at the same time uncovers ports 1 and t', upon Vwhich said compressed charges of fuel pass from the outer ends of cylinders 1 and 1 through by-passes 5 and 5, and through ports at and'elf, respectively into combustion chamber 1, after which the described operations are repeated. During these operations, it will be under-- 'stood that two opposed pistons, in each of the tubes B, C, and D, are similarly operated. Said pistons by reason of their rod and crank connections, rotate crank shaft 10.

1t will be seen that the number and arrangement of the cylinders and their respective pistons permits alineme'nt of the piston connections and crank shaft, as stated in my first object, and herein lies the vital element of my invention.

It will be understood that the fuel supply may be4 regulated by any form of governing means, which form no part of my invention, and are therefore neither shown nor described. It will also be understood that a manifold exhaust conductor can be secured over ports 3, for conducting exhaust therefrom to any desired point, and that said conductor-is omitted to avoid obscurity.

\ Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by VLetters Patent, is:-

1. In an internal combustion engine, a pair of lower tubes mounted on a Xed 0b- ]ectw1th a spaceA between them; a pair of upper tubes mounted on said lower tubes directly above the latter with spaces between said lower and upper tubes; a cornbustion chamber formed in the central portion of each one of said tubes; fuel intake means whereby a charge of gaseous fuel is directed into each one of said combustion chambers; exhaust; a crank shaft rotatably mounted between the lower and upper conibustion chambers; a pair of diametrically opposed cranks formed on the central portion of said crank shaft; a piston in one end portion of each one of said tubes; an opposed piston in the opposite end portion of each one of said tubes; and rod and wristpin connecting nieans whereby said pistons and said opposed pistons are respectively connected with said cranks.

2. In an internal combustion engine, four tubes mounted parallel to each other with spaces between them; an end piece for each end of said engine, each one of said end pieces having four cylinder heads formed integrally therewith Said heads being flange bolted on the ends of said tubes, said heads and end pieces having fuel passages formed therein for admitting a gaseous fuel into the ends of said tubes; a check valve in each one of said end pieces for preventing return flow of fuel through said passages; a combustion chamber formed in the central portion of each one of said tubes dividing the latter into a cylinder and an opposed cylinder in the respective end portions of said tube; inlet and exhaust ports forv said combustion chambers; by-passes for said Cylinders whereby their respective outer ends are connected with said inlet ports, and a manifold pipe adapted to have a carbureter connected therewith one of said pipes being connected with each one of said end pieces.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a

crank shaft; a pair of diametrically opposed cranks formed on said shaft; four cylinders grouped adjacent to each other at one end of said engine, the two upper ones of said cylinders having apertures formed through the centers of the upper sides thereof; all of said cylinders having slots formed through the centers of their adjacent sides; a piston in each one of said cylinders all of said pistons having countersinks formed in the centers of their upper sides, the two upper ones of said pistons having apertures therethrough connected with said countersinks; a wristpin; a connecting rod whereby said wristpin is connected with one of said cranks; a crossy arm in which one end of said wristpin is secured; another cross arin in which the other end of said wristpin is slidably mounted; two lower cross arm pins secured in the lower arms of said cross arms the lower end portions of said pins being mounted in said lower countersinks; two upper cross arm pins having heads formed ou their upper ends; spiral springs in said upper countersinks; said upper pins being passed downward through said springs and upper pistons and having their lower ends secured in the upper arms of said cross arins with the heads of said upper pins tightly ressed upon said springs; the whole forming yieldable wristpin connecting means for connecting said group of pistons with said connecting rod, whereby the weight of said connecting means is distributed and carried by the four pistons of said group.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT S. GRAHAM.

Witnesses:

HENRY A. CARSON, JOHN J. HIN'roN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

